The
present TimeLine page differs from similar pages available on the
Internet because it is focused more on the industry than on
"inventions". It was originally designed to show the place of
the European and more specifically the French computer industry
facing its world-wide competition. Most of published time-line charts either consider
that everything had an American origin or they show their country patriotism
(French, Italian, Russian or British) or their company patriotism.

It includes three kinds of entries :

the major industry companies creations and dismays with their main managers taking
office,

the introduction of significant computers or technology by those companies,

some inventions that have taken place in the computer science.

By no means, the list should be considered exhaustive and it is planned to add to it
in the future. Readers are invited to request for corrections or additions to the
author.
While a few dates are recorded with precision, other may be as imprecise as one
year. For instance, companies mergers may require many months to be concluded. Inventions may
be credited of the patent filing or approval. Operation of a system may be
dated as day of shipment or of its actual commissioning by the customer. Products
may be introduced not simultaneously in several countries. In addition, sources
may contradict each other. The wording generally
used in this time-line is "introduction" for announcement by the
manufacturer. Actual "delivery" could be significantly later;
sometimes, it never occurred. "Shipment" means delivery of hardware,
but actual "operation" may be significantly delayed.
While over 2400 milestones are recorded here, there is still a lack of coverage of
important fields (peripherals, electronic consumer goods, software companies),
several countries are not yet given the rank they deserve.

This
page and its companions focus essentially on the computer industry and its
relations with other information processing technology in general. It has been extended of some aspects of the electronics
industry that was the
cradle of many companies. and inventions of the information technology.

Pre-1945
period is actually the pre-historic era of that industry. Several inventions had taken
place in Europe and USA. However, it has to be remarked that, almost exclusively in the USA, a
calculator industry and a punched card industry was born in the first part
of the century. One possible reason for this incentive for mechanization of
clerical tasks in the USA might be related to the scarcity of workers, even in a
country of immigration. It also underscores the general consensus for increase
of productivity in the U.S. even in the depression periods.
The development of telephone and telegraph operators occurred on a worldwide
basis, but the influence of American investors was generally dominant, although
in all countries, governments decide to administrate or strictly regulate the
telecommunications operations.

Date

IBM

other USA

France

rest of the world

?

invention of abacus by Chinese

50 BC

Julius Caesar uses symmetrical enciphering by substitution

1585

Blaise de Vigenère invents polyalphabetic enciphering

1623

Wilhelm Schikard, at University of Tübingen, invents a calculating machine used by Kepler

Wiliam Coolidge from General Electric invents the X-Ray tube at Niskayuna, close to Schenectady NY

1913

AT&T accepts the regulating "Kingsbury Commitment "to decommit from telegraph communications and
sells its shares of Western Union Telegraph Company in 1914

4 May 1914

Thomas J. Watson joins CTR as general manager, coming from
NCR.

1914

Powers introduces a printing tabulator

1914

CTR sets up a product development lab in New-York City on 6th Avenue near Pennsylvania Station,
headed by Eugene Ford.

1914

creation of Laboratoire national de TSF by General Ferrié

1914

merge of Northern Electric with a rubber-coated wire manufacturer

1915

hiring of Clair D. Lake, an automotive designer by CTR.
Lake will replace Ford as manager of the New-York lab in 1916.

1915

establishment of Accounting and Tabulating Corporation (Acc and Tab) of Great Britain,
a subsidiary of Powers Accounting

25 Jan 1915

first transcontinental telephone line

1916

hiring of Fred M. Carroll , from NCR, a printer designer by CTR
His project of a printing tabulator will be abandoned for the Lake's project in 1920, but Carroll designs a
successful rotary punched-cards production machine

1917

Introduction of an electric reset of the tabulator's accumulators.
Introduction of a verifier machine, to control keypunches

9 Apr 1917

US Navy takes over all radiocommunications for the duration of WWI

1917

Hiring of James Wares Bryce as supervisory engineer at
Endicott, NY

11 dec 1917

foundation of Plessey by W.O Heyne to manufacture pianos

31 Jul 1918

proclamation by US President Wilson of control by the US Post Office of telephone and telegraph
systems in the United States this decision will be reversed on July 30th 1919

introduction of IBM Type 405 alphabetical accounting machine (150 cpm, print at 80 lpm)
Type 405 was in production until after WWII
IBM introduces the name EAM Electric Accounting Machines for its tabulators.